GOVERNMENT SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL YANTUMAKI ISLAMIC STUDIES SS II NOTE ON STEALING, SMOKING AND FRAUDTheft (stealing) is Haraam (forbidden) according to the Quran, Sunnah [sayings of Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam], and Ijmaa’ (scholarly consensus). Allah, (SWA) has condemned this action and decreed an appropriate punishment for it. The Hadd [i.e. the legal punishment prescribed by the Sharee’ah (Islamic law)] for a thief is to cut off the thief’s hand.“[As for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands in recompense for what they earned [i.e. committed] as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” [Quran 5:38] The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said: “The hand (of the thef) should be cut off for (the theft of) a quarter of a Dinar or more.” [Al-Bukhari] The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam cursed the thief because he is a corrupt element in society, and if he is left unpunished, his corruption will spread and infect the body of the Ummah (Muslim community). Al-Nawawi may Allah have mercy upon him said in his commentary on Saheeh Muslim (Hadeeth collection): Al-Shaaf’i, Abu Haneefah, Maalik and the majority (of scholars) may Allah have mercy upon them said: “The hand should be cut off from the wrist, where the hand meets the forearm.” Al-Qurtubi may Allah have mercy upon him said: “All the scholars said: The hand should be cut off from the wrist, not as some of the innovators do when they cut off the fingers and leave the thumb.” Because cutting off the hand is a serious matter, it should not be done for just any case of theft. A combination of conditions must be fulfilled before the hand of a thief is cut off. These conditions are as follows: 1- The thing should have been taken by stealth.2- The stolen property should be something of worth, because that which is of no worth has no sanctity, such as musical inst